Currently, portable information processing apparatuses called mobile personal computers, netbooks, and the like (hereinafter, simply written as “computers”) are widely used, and opportunities of using the computers not only in the office, but also outside of the office, such as during transit and at the office of a customer, are increasing in business scenes. On the other hand, problems in the security of the computers are drawing attention. For example, when a computer is stolen or lost, personal information, customer information, and the like stored in the computer may be leaked.
Therefore, computers provided with functions of deleting or not allowing referencing information (data) stored in the computers and locking the computers by remote operation (hereinafter, written as “remote operation functions”) are put into practical use. In such a computer, a communication module for wireless communication, such as a Personal Handy phone System (PHS) and a mobile phone, is capable of communication, regardless of an operating state of a Central Processing Unit (CPU), such as power off and suspended. As a result, when a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) wirelessly receives an instruction command from a remote location through the communication module, the BIOS deletes the data in a hard disk according to the instruction command even if an Operating System (OS) is not activated.
The BIOS is a program stored in a Read Only Memory (ROM), such as a flash memory, on a motherboard and executed at the activation of the computer, and the BIOS controls peripheral hardware, such as a disk drive and a video card. Therefore, the BIOS includes various pieces of setting information, such as setting of use or non-use of hardware, activation order setting, and power setting. A technique for changing the BIOS setting information by remote operation is also proposed.
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Non Patent document 1: Kenji Sakamaki, Hideyuki Nagatoshi, Masaki Mukouchi, Kazuaki Nimura, “Anti-theft Solution for Mobile Personal Computers: CLEARSURE”, FUJITSU. 61, 2, p. 94-99, March 2010
The BIOS setting information may include a remote operation setting for switching whether to enable or disable the remote operation functions. In such a case, for example, the remote operation functions are set to “enabled (valid)” (ON) in a computer that can be carried outside of the office, and the remote operation functions are set to “disabled (invalid)” (OFF) in a computer fixed and operated in the office.
In general, the BIOS setting information is set according to an operational policy of the owner of the computer. For example, if the owner of the computer is a company, a management department of an information system determines the operational policy, and the user (employee) of each computer performs the BIOS setting of the computer of the user according to the operational policy.
However, in such an operation, since each employee takes charge of the BIOS setting, the BIOS setting may not be performed in accordance with the operational policy in a computer used by an employee who does not follow the operational policy, for example. As a result, if the computer is stolen and the remote operation functions need to be executed, the remote operation functions may not be able to be used.
To handle the problem, an operation of distributing computers to the employees is performed, the computers including BIOS setting information appropriately set by the information system manager. However, if an employee changes the setting of the BIOS setting information, the computer is not compatible with the operational policy after all.
There is a computer including a BIOS password to distinguish between the user who can change the BIOS setting information and the other users. According to the computer, an operation is possible, in which only the information system manager who knows the password changes the BIOS setting information, and general employees are not allowed to change the BIOS setting information.
However, in such an operation, if the BIOS setting information needs to be changed even slightly such as when the computer does not normally operate, the employee needs to hand over the computer to the information system manager. In other words, the information system manager needs to manage the operation, such as adjustment and repair, regarding all computers. Such an operation is unrealistic.
There is also a computer provided with functions such as the remote operation functions, in which a contract is signed with the user by setting a period of usage in advance at the time of purchase or at the start of usage. In such a computer, for example, the setting information related to the functions as a target of contract needs to be changed to “disabled”. However, when the change of the setting information is dependent on the user, a trouble such as involuntary execution of the target functions may occur, if the user forgets the change operation.